An estimate of phytate intake and molar ratio of phytate to zinc in the diet of the people in the United Kingdom

Abstract Objective To estimate the phytate intake and molar ratio of phytate to zinc in the diet of the people in the United Kingdom. Design Tables of the phytate content of foods were developed from twenty-eight published and unpublished studies. They were then applied to the nutrient databank of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). The study is a retrospective analysis of data on daily consumption of foods and drinks from the NDNS of children, adolescents, adults and the elderly based on 4–7 d weighed intakes. Subjects A total of 6786 British participants aged 1·5 years and above, who participated in the NDNS, 1992–2001. Setting England, Scotland and Wales. Results The median daily intakes of phytate for children, adolescents, adults and the elderly population were 496, 615, 809 and 629 mg/d, respectively. Although there were differences in phytate intakes between men and women, and for children, adolescents and elderly populations, after adjusting for differences in energy intake, there was no significant variation. The median phytate-to-zinc molar ratios for children, adolescents, adults and the elderly population were 11·8, 10·4, 9·7 and 8·7, respectively. Overall, the main sources of phytate were cereal and cereal products (e.g. breakfast cereals and breads), vegetables, potatoes and savoury snacks (e.g. chips and crisps), hot drinks and miscellaneous foods (e.g. commercial toddler foods and drinks, chocolate and soups), fruits and nuts. Conclusions The present study estimated the dietary intake of phytate and the phytate-to-zinc molar ratio of the diet of the UK population, which can be used for estimating the average requirement of zinc. Further research should focus on the completion and validation of the tables of phytate content of UK foods, to assess (and if necessary improve) the accuracy and precision of these findings.